Scarlet
by Blueberry Absinth
Summary: Moments create eternity. RukaxAkatsuki, drabble collection with chronological order.
1. Nightmare

**'Kayy now, starting a small collection of RukaxAkatsuki drabbles with a vague chronological connection ^.^ I've had all chapters written but one (the number of chappies is 6, btw). If it goes the way I plan, then I'll update every Wednesday xD Even lack of reviews won't stop me. Which reminds me - click that blessed green button down there and tell me what you think? I'll be very glad**

**Discl.: No copyright infringement intended.**

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Scarlet

Or Early Red Moon

Prologue

Fairytales tell of mighty knights and beautiful damsels. The prince comes to cure the princess from a gruesome curse, she falls in love with him and they live happily ever after. The evil sorceress is forgotten, deeply buried within the willingly disregarded dark memories. Such stories are read only by the youngest ones, those who've never been struck in the heart and then left alone, for those women lovelorn will never want to read something like that. Those girls whose hearts have been stolen and spit on and stepped on, they will never open such a book for the happiness of the easy couple on the white sheet will grasp their sad hearts and squeeze until the smallest bits of happiness, lingering deep within, disappear. They tell themselves that they aren't so naïve and stupid to trust the first man to grace their sight.

Despite that, princesses and wanting-to-be princesses will continue to exist. They will continue to sleep under the clear sky, waiting for their beloved prince to come and kiss the curse away. They will continue to lean into the frog. They will continue to dance with the Beast. They will continue to be mesmerized by the cheap gold plating and the flowery words.

And whereas some might understand the stupidity of their actions, most will continue to reach out for the far-away rose, unaware of its thorns, while not noticing the simple beauty of the wildflower, blooming just under their feet.

Chapter 1

_Kain was sure he was an impostor. There was no way Shiki, quiet, calm, bored Shiki could do something like that. Shiki would never dream of trying something like that on a female. Shiki would mumble something like "Too boring" or "Too tiring" and stay next to Rima who'd always keep him in check if he ever decided to try to act in such a matter. But, apparently he'd been fooling his mind about his red-haired classmate – and comrade. Apparently Shiki Senri thought in a different way towards Ruka. Why, why her? It could have been any other girl._

_The thought that he was terribly selfish swam in his head, painfully obvious, as Kain parried the hand that was going to Ruka. With a swift motion he pinned the bastard against the wall, almost throwing him in the process, but being mindful of the fact that despite everything, he was fighting with a fellow vampire. His palm formed into a fist, ready to punch him. And the other guy just grinned from where he stood. Boy, did he have some audacity._

_With his peripheral sight, he could see Ruka lifting her head, eyes somehow unseeing, as her lips formed the name. But instead of…_

"_Kaname__-__sama…" _

_Then there was darkness._

…

Alarm screeching. A feather resting on his nose. Wind brushing his face and playing with his hair. Sunlight shining right into his left eye, the other one hidden safely in the shadows. A groan, surprisingly coming from his mouth. A shift of his body so it's all in the shadows and his eye doesn't burn now.

But one picture remains under his lids and still stings despite that fact that the sun's not touching him now. Or maybe one shouldn't compare him to the sun – the sun is evil, yes, it burns their sensitive skin, too used to the dark satin of the night, but that is different. Far more powerful.

With a stiff gruff, Kain decides to stand up finally and start to get ready for school/the pretense they have to endure because of their Kaname-sama. His clock still rings a few hours before the actual start of the school hours no matter how many times his cousin whines about getting woken up early. Even 'Wild' doesn't know why he wants his alarm to ring so early. He isn't slow in getting himself ready for school, so it is for wondering.

The red sun rays of a setting sun waltz with the dust motes in the room as he gets ready for a few minutes and then moves the chair, closest to the window, out of the light, in the shadows in order to sit. He does that every day, the same minutes taken to do whatever he needed to, the same snoring coming from the other bed, the same landscape outside in the world, be it bathed in light, green from the incoming spring, or dark, clad in a snow cloak. It has become a routine already.

But it isn't a routine that he has a nightmare. Such a nightmare. With her.

Kain doesn't know what's so unsettling about him getting mistaken for his leader. It isn't a bad thing, he guesses, if it's coming from someone who hasn't kept an unrequited love for him. Someone who doesn't think that Kuran Kaname-sama will always save them, will always come rushing to their side. That isn't his job, after all. His job is to lead, and that surely means that he has to overlook those under him.

Ruka will probably get over him.

Maybe. Or maybe not.

Or maybe he's just jealous.

Akatsuki prefers that he does not think about that in such a way. He'll prefer it if Ruka got with whoever she loves, even that fan of hers from the Day class, rather than pursuing her.

The sun has set. Time to go.

Standing up, he goes up to see whether Hanabusa's gotten up. While his sheets and blankets are still tangled up (because the Idol of the Day Class girls always twists and snores and has one of those nightmares, in which pink ninjas want to destroy his hair gel. Always) and his pillows are on the ground, there isn't any bundle of vampire flesh and blonde hair.

Suddenly wanted person springs from behind with the full intent to scare Kain. No success, as usual.

"Let's go," Akatsuki says and goes out, followed by a moping Hanabusa.


	2. Interview

**Random stuff: after you read this chapter (hintand reviewhint) ****, ****go back and read the last sentence of the prologue, while thinking of Kain's nickname and Kaname's present to Yuki. ^.^ (because I know no one saw that :D)**

**By the way, 7 days from now on, I won't be on FFnet so I won't be able to review reply you :( I promise to do that after that ^.^ 'offers cookie'**

Interview

"Take a seat, Akatsuki-san," the overly-polite girl told him, serious scrutinizing eyes looking at him in a creepy way. Kain obliged, wary of his surroundings and the fact that two girls from the Day Class were watching him. Not to mention that Zero, Kiryu was glaring daggers at his back; one could almost touch the bloodlust that guy was emitting; one could almost imagine the want to take out that gun and shoot in his back. One could tremble. He didn't.

Kain couldn't understand the whole point of their gathering. It was early in the morning, so the sun didn't shine very much and for that he was grateful. At least that was thought of.

He didn't witness it when the two girls and that prefect had come to the Moon Dormitory to talk with Kaname-sama, but it was obvious that he'd been very angry. Annoyance had been still lacing his words when he told them that they were to be interviewed by some Day Class girls and that Akatsuki was the first person they wanted to meet with. Hanabusa had whined, but apparently 'Wild' had beaten 'Idol'. At the moment, his cousin was probably moping around, being all green and stuff.

But Kaname-sama hadn't informed them the reason they were going to interview him. He'd just said this, this and this and then that, that and that and now the blood tablets were heavy in his stomach.

Why hadn't they just refused? There was a written request from the Chairman, asking them to do what the humans wished. Because of the same written request, Kiryu was stuck here too, having to take charge of them. And that was a good thing, at the very least.

At least they weren't the kind of girls that always welcomed them when they finished their classes. If one looked only at the horde that was always at their footstep, he'd think that serious human girls didn't exist. Ruka was one of a kind despite what was seen now.

"Excuse me, Kain-san," the same girl's voice came to him and shrugged him of his reverie "May we start now?"

Asked boy nodded and made himself more comfortable, ready to endure an onslaught of questions. The main severe girl took out some neatly organized documents, her companion smiled sheepishly and kind of confusedly, while Zero just snorted from behind.

They went through the normal things – salutations, introductions and so on. The girl, who spoke more, the more serious one, was Akane and the name of the other, puzzled girl was Alice. They asked him not to use any honorifics though. Their supervisor didn't get an introduction.

Then some questions were asked – how was it in the Night Class, how the Moon Dormitory looked from the inside, whether he was content of his stay here or not, etcetera, etcetera. Akatsuki answered truthfully: that he was happy here (after all, what wasn't to be happy about – he was serving Kaname-sama, he was near Ruka, he lived with his cousin) and spent a lot of time describing where they slept.

After that part of the meeting was gone, the two girls went out for a few minutes and returned with a few sheets of paper (again) and a pen. As they sat down, a small, sure hand reached out and put the pages in front of him. From what he saw, Kain guessed it was some kind of a questionnaire.

A pen was put in his hands in a calm manner.

"Fill in the questions," Akane said in that quiet voice of hers and then continued on to her seat and wait, patient like a biologist watching the small birds grow into adults.

Kain looked at the questions and absent-mindedly wondered what the results were supposed to be. His eyes skipped over the first question.

_What kind of hair do you prefer – long or short?_

With a small to none interfering from his mind, the hand, grasping the pen, made an almost perfect circle around 'long'. Then he lifted his head again, still wondering.

"Why am I doing this?" the words slipped his tongue with awareness; the pen felt strange in his palm.

"Well, you'll see for yourself," Alice giggled "I'll just say that-"

"No, you won't say anything," the other girl interrupted, with a chaste smile on her lips "Please go on, Kain-san."

Akatsuki looked at them, confused, then shrugged a little and went on to answer the questions. The answers were more than obvious to him, as he quickly roamed through the questionnaire, under the almost amazed eyes of the girls. His pen made quick circles a second before his eyes leaped to the next issue. He was done in a few minutes.

Akane thanked him and excused herself and Alice until they managed to find the score of the survey. The two girls went out, one of them talking as if she was winded up. Kain half expected to see that small moving key at her back.

The tension that came after the two went out, could almost be cut with a knife. It was so suffocating. Two sworn enemies even before they were born and now they had to sustain their instincts inside, to not follow them. Kain, being a mellow person, didn't have that much problems with that, but he was sure that the hatred Zero was feeling for quite some time now, was giving him problems. The sentiment he felt before, was even stronger now. What strange a room were they in.

Suddenly that guy grinned. Wait, not grinned, smirked. Not even smirked, sniggered.

"What are you laughing at?" Kain asked, angered at that vampire hunter. He was just a mere Ex-human, after all.

"Do you know what kind of test you took just now?" he asked with the tease apparent in his voice, posture, everything.

The other man just shook his head, making sure that all his being screamed 'Duh, idiot". Especially the part with the 'idiot'.

A new mocking snicker came from the silver-haired boy's mouth. Akatsuki decided he was less annoying when he was just glaring holes on the wall.

"Well, it's one of those 'who-do-you-love' tests," a new chuckle; since when had that guy started laughing so much, "And dare I say, the results are quite accurate."

It wasn't that big a surprise, actually, when one thought a little. Even if they were stern, the usual fan girl mind probably rested within them too.

Zero, after seeing that his object of teasing wasn't responding, grumpily went back to glaring at the wall. Kain breathed a sigh of relief.

That moment the two girls returned, carrying a single printed sheet.

"This is your result, Kain-san," Akane, her eyes a little wider, handed him the sheet, which was still warm from the printer. His eyes skipped up to the words, a little afraid of the final result.

'_You are 100% in love with Ruka Souen.'_


	3. Flashback

**I smell Shima in the air ^.^ just a small hint though.**

**I think the vampires already know whatever they study in their classes. I mean they're quite old, they should've had some kinda education, after all most are nobilities 'should've said that in the beginning'…**

**Also, go listen to Meadows of Heaven, by NIghtwish. Amazing song. Really inspiring ^.^

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Flashback

The day wasn't anything special. Just a normal day (or rather night) when she and her comrades were 'studying', all in inverted commas, because they'd all studied that and were going just for the sake of the pretense and their leader, Kаname-sama. Day and night were too mixed for them now that they avoided using them. For them, the tamed vampires, the night was a day and the same way with the day. The tiny silver wires of the Moon were now the sun, while the immense golden silk of the Sun were the lunar rays.

That day/night was nice. Or maybe more than nice. There wasn't a single cloud on the dark hole that was the sky or even if there was, one couldn't see it. Even if there was a cloud, it'd have looked like a gray pearl.

Nature was celebrating. Whether it was a day or night didn't matter, the date was essential.

Ruka was still amazed at her memory. Everyday quirks, emotions, anger, a lot of things didn't even reach her memory, no matter how good it was. One day she'd feel so sleepy that she'd be sure that she'd remember it the next day, and when that next day came, she'd wonder why something was lacking in yesterday's remembrance.

Yet that day was vivid in her mind. Not only was her blood drunk by Kaname-sama, but she did something that later, after some time and some willpower, became something more cherished to her. At first she hadn't wanted it to become that way, but after being rejected, it was to be expected. Ruka didn't want to forget that night but she didn't want to remember it with something unreachable, something that would always be one-sided, either.

The eyes of that girl had been so big.

The classes would soon start, but she couldn't care less. She didn't have an image of a bubbly girl to have to always talk. She was quiet, remembering. That night, a few hours after the best moments of her life, when she'd been able to walk without faltering, she'd somehow gone out of the territories of the school, in the small town. There she'd wandered the streets like a drunk. Or maybe she'd been drunk with happiness back then, in the moment before she learned her blood wasn't enough for Kaname-sama.

The teacher came in, did his usual routines and then started explaining some things he knew they knew. Ruka couldn't care less.

The eyes of that girl had been so afraid.

The vampire nobility remembered that back then she'd wanted some blood, because she didn't want to ask for Kaname-sama's blood, never, ever that and her body had been lacking blood. She'd gone into the poorer places to search for bastards – no concoction the Academy offered was as good as normal hot, scarlet blood. Scarlet was her favorite color after all. And petty criminals were the best when hunting for blood. At that moment she hadn't cared about her servitude to Kaname-sama – she had been hungry.

They were studying the DNA of plants: it wasn't even funny, the pun.

And then, she'd picked up the scent of a small girl. A young girl, one that still played with dolls. And there was the older smell of a few men. Ruka'd started running, to get to them, mouth salivating. When she'd gone there, she'd found out that she'd been right – there was a young girl and a small number of men, looming over her frame, reeking of alcohol. Making herself seen, Ruka'd gone to them and had bit into their flesh. It'd been her pettiest prey. No one ever understood.

The hours were ending. Soon she'd be in her room and probably Akatsuki'd come too for a small chat before everyone went to bed. Actually, she was sure he'd come. Probably, by now, he'd noticed that she wasn't behaving normally. Akatsuki always noticed.

The little girl had watched her as she drank the men's blood and wiped the stray trail of liquid, wandering down her chin. Instead, the still-child had thrown her hands around her and thanked her over and over again. Ruka remembered feeling sick and asking the girl to show her the way to her house and she remembered the girl obliging as she took her to a half-destroyed barn. There she gave her savior a small token to be remembered – a wooden toy soldier in bright colors.

As the hour ended, Ruka thought of that toy soldier and how the saved hadn't been afraid of her even if she was bathed in blood.

Somehow she went to her room faster than usual. Rima wasn't going to come back after some time (she wanted to have some time for leisure with Shiki after all) and so the apartment was all hers.

Ruka went to her nightstand and opened the small drawer up its very end. After some serious searching, her hand emerged with a small wooden toy with faded colors. Back then, she'd been too careless, as seen that she fell in love with Kaname-sama and made the vibrant colors go to such a dried out grey.

Silently and somehow dreamily, she sat on her bed and looked at what she was holding. The toy was one of her most valuable things. She decided it was better to watch it until she fell asleep.

However her plans were interrupted as a familiar face went into the room. Ruka smiled just as Akatsuki made his way and sat next to her, eyes moving between her eyes and the doll.

"What's this?" he asked slowly, carefully, but curiosity was apparent in his voice.

Ruka decided that it was safe to tell him her small story. He'd believe it. He wasn't like others. And she told him.

"Her eyes were so afraid," she wondered out loud when she'd finished her tale, but then she noticed him looking a little strangely "What?"

"Nothing," apparently Kain'd just decided to shrug it off. No matter how serious it was as a crime.

He hadn't asked why she'd gone to the town. He hadn't asked why she'd drunk their blood. He wasn't condemning her.

That was a happy thought.

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**Review? **


	4. Fairytale

**This was the second idea to be developed and my third most fave ^.^

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Fairytale

The most solid thing in the world, except Akatsuki, was boredom. Boredom, boredom, boredom. It felt like a small virus nagging her body and poisoning her brain. Immortality was a bad thing while one ran out of things to do.

All Ruka did these days was to go through her normal routine, talk with Akatsuki and watch the ceiling of her room while Rima was out with Shiki, feeding him pocky. Normal routine was getting boring; actually it'd gotten boring long ago, with just the presence of Kaname-sama to infuse her days with something interesting but soon he became a routine too and that tingle in her heart, that swirl in her stomach that used to be her permanent companions, were lost somewhere between the sheets easy homework, fan letters and political requests. He wasn't that mysterious and beautiful as she used to see him with the eyes of a naïve girl, plus he'd already made his choice, even though that choice contradicted itself with that of the prefect girl.

It was only when she was looking at the upper lamp, counting the many glittering facets, did she think of their leader whom she'd once given her blood to. Somehow she regrets the fact, the knowledge that she wouldn't give her life for him. It was unsettling. Once, along with boredom and Akatsuki, Kaname was one of her columns that created her temple of beliefs and experience. Back then, when she actually believed in fairytales. When she loved learning to dance with Beauty, who had to be with the Beast, when she cleaned with Cinderella, when she hated 'The Little Mermaid' because the end was so sad, according to her back then – the mermaid couldn't marry the prince. Those days, that tale was avoided like the plague. Akatsuki and Aido had been jealous of her books back then.

In such state of preferences, had she gone into the Academy and had her blood drunk by Kaname-sama. Maybe, when that blood had left her body, blessed lips sucking softly at that particular spot of skin that would always be his, even if she someday came to have a soul mate, Ruka finally let go of that obsession of hers. Of maybe it was during the following days when he clearly showed that her usefulness had outlived her. Probably, yes, it was then.

Hastily, Ruka stood up and turned to the door, intent on going to the library. Because sometimes even vampires needed fairytales too.

Finding her way in mere seconds, in long strides, the vampire found the place she was searching for – the sanctuary where books slept. In one corner which would've been dusty if it wasn't cleaned (the other parts had enough fingers to brush them every day), proudly stood the books who were famous for creating the most cliché ideas in the world. No one ever touched them because most knew them by heart by now.

Ruka's eyes passed over the random books in colorful covers. She wasn't searching for any particular story; she just wanted to taste her childhood again. When she was a kid, she'd loved those kinds of books: so it was the best way to try and touch that lost innocence.

Her hands chose a book on a random principle. A book with beautiful pictures, memories captured between mortal paper, little pieces that created eternity. There, without any problems, the young couple met, under strange circumstances. A small, but thick forest, a princess dancing in the river, weaving herself flower circlets. The prince, his white horse on the left side. The fated meeting, the false golden words of love, whispered under the oaks. The evil force, which came to take away the most untainted of loves just out of pure spite. The 'hardships' they had to endure in the name of that love, the lameness of those quests. The end of the struggle which wasn't much of a struggle. The artificial happiness, powered up by lies and false promises.

It was so disgusting it hurt.

With gentle hands, Ruka returned the book to its place on the shelf and then used the same hands to hug herself. Life was never like fairytales and it hurt even though Kaname-sama was retreating his boats from her mind, even though his impact on her was much smaller. If she ever could think beyond her present condition, she'd think it was better that way – she'd prefer herself to be an independent woman who was reaching for her goals with unique stubbornness, not the love-struck fool she used to be before.

But why did she feel like tearing her hair off? Was she still in love with Kaname-sama or had she gotten over him? She'd long told herself that she'd stopped pursuing him, but deep inside those sentiments for him were still there, unmovable. Now, somehow, he was just part of the décor. As much as a dorm leader and a long-time idol could be a part of the furniture.

Gathering more willpower, Ruka raised her hand to choose another book. Was she a masochist? Probably yes.

Her mind was thrown yet again into a swirl of incomprehensible emotions and confusion. It was so much it actually hurt.

Suddenly the book was taken from her hand and thrown away on the table with little to none carefulness. Her now shivering body was led away, to one of the chairs and made sit down on the hard wood. After a millisecond or so, she felt him take a seat just in the place next to her. Her eyes were closed.

A somehow insecure arm was draped across her shoulder and Ruka found herself leaning into Akatsuki, the familiar un-warmth comforting her.

Curious, the girl opened her suddenly heavy lids and looked around. Akatsuki was there, on her right, as usual, concerned expression crowning his features. Beyond his amazing, big persona, was the table where that book was residing now, sniggering in the fact that it'd made her go into hysterics with its bright colors. Next to it, a more patient-looking book stood – a more serious.

"Read to me."

Akatsuki looked at her in a strange way, probably wondering where that came from, an eyebrow raised. Ruka repeated her demand quietly and this time he decided to do what she wanted – his voice was amazing.

What he read was a tragedy. The couple didn't get together in the end.


	5. Ball

Ball

It was a small success, but still a success.

Kaname-sama was hosting yet another ball. Some might think the only thing he was doing was host balls so his lover Yuki could get more attention and recognition from the vampire nobility. The actual reason wasn't far from the truth, but no one dared to ask for details. No one had a death wish, after all.

But, regardless of reasons, it was a good opportunity for everyone to get identified by the society, to forge relationships or to make them stronger. Kain was doing just that.

Ruka had agreed to be his partner at the ball. And now he was wondering what to wear.

She wasn't just some lowly vampire who was used just for the moment – he had to be presentable. She had class and exact preferences – he had to be presentable. He couldn't just be that shaggy guy with two fastened buttons from ten on the whole. Her parents were most likely to be there, wanting to learn more about Kaname-sama and he had to look tidy enough for them to acknowledge that the previous Akatsuki Kain was still here, not lost under that 'punk', as he once heard them say.

Probably the problem wasn't that much with her parents, but with Ruka herself. She mustn't be ashamed with his appearance.

And so he was stuck in front of the mirror, in his half-naked 189-tall glory, wondering how to dress up. His blonde hair was more tangled than usual, his eyes shining like nothing but some kept inside emotions (while they had to be calm and composed). He looked like a street rat, dressed in a towel.

Kain made a face at the mirror. The image responded with the same. Just as expected.

"Even if you make faces at the mirror, your looks won't change y'know?" the cheerful voice of his cousin, Hanabusa came from the bathroom door and the blonde vampire came out, rubbing his hair with the towel which was supposed to be for his body. Quickly evading his 'treasures', he continued on to his bed and sat down. Kain turned half a face towards him.

"I know that," he grimaced again and looked at his reflection, doing everything he was. In one corner, the mirror image of 'Idol' was scowling.

"You're going to make yourself permanent lines on your face," he brought the already wet towel down and threw it in some unknown direction "Why exactly are you in front of the mirror, anyway? Kinda strange."

"No reason," Kain ran a hand through his hair and sighed inwardly.

"Yeah, right. For no reason you decided to ogle yourself in the mirror, while you usually pass it without a second glance," Hanabusa's mouth formed a thoughtful pout "Seriously, what's the matter? Are you self-conscious?"

Leave it to him to be on the right mark, yet still be miles away from it.

"No."

"You were half a second too late to say that," he grinned, then got a serious expression "You aren't afraid Ruka won't like how you dress," not waiting for a response, he continued on, "Look, I can give you only one advice as the one more experienced with heart problems. Ruka's a girl with class. So don't go there with an unbuttoned shirt. Be neat for once."

Kain looked at himself in the mirror, darker than usual eyes staring back at him. He hated the feeling of collars around his neck (they felt as if they were created to suffocate him), but he'd loathe himself if he was ever to embarrass Ruka. He turned to the shirt which was lying on his bed and started putting it on.

"Are you going to tell me something?" Hanabusa looked like a kicked, but hopeful puppy for a second. Apparently he wanted a 'thank you'.

"Who's the idiot who is gonna be your partner?"

The kicked puppy face melted into a look or irritation, then into excitement as the blond guy started his tale about some human girl.

…

The atmosphere was better than the one at the previous parties. Despite the fact that Kaname-sama was a pureblood, he didn't know very much about such events because it was a short while ago that he started hosting those dances. And he was still learning; he wanted to make it perfect.

And Ruka wanted to stay away from the reason his perfectionism had been born. Despite the fact that she'd mostly overcome her love ever since it became obvious that that girl Yuki was everything he wanted, it still hurt. How could it not hurt: it took more than a few months for a lasted-throughout-the-years vampire love to go away. It would take more time than what she knew she expected: it always came like this.

At least Akatsuki would always be next to her. About that she could be absolutely sure.

Speaking of whom, where exactly was Akatsuki? Usually he came a few minutes before her, but now he was late; she'd been waiting for ten minutes already.

The first song had started playing: somehow in a daze, Ruka watched Kaname-sama as he swirled with that Yuki, the girl hesitant in his arms, eyes always wandering away to the silver-haired Ex-human. The idiot. What would have she done to-

And then Ruka Souen realized that her accusation had lost its passion. It had been merely a habit. That realization struck her although it wasn't very surprising.

The music changed to a slower pace and she grew squirmy. Why was he taking it so long? He wasn't doing his make-up, was he?

A hand touched her shoulder, almost making her jump. Almost. Calm on the outside, startled on the outside, Ruka turned around to see her partner who was supposed to never be late, but was now late with fifteen minutes. And was stunned into silence.

Akatsuki was dressed like a normal vampire – like those that were already on the dance floor, holding their respective female and leading them into an elegant dance. All his buttons were pinned, his collar was perfect and his hair was looking as if it was actually combed. If it wasn't for his eyes which were unchangeable, she'd have thought that he was another person.

No wonder he was late. He wasn't used to doing such stuff.

Kain was highly uncomfortable with his attire. The collar was suffocating him, cutting out the little air he had because of the hot atmosphere and the fact that Ruka was with him, his hair felt like glued on his scalp. His fingers were itching to go up and unbutton his shirt: only the sheer force of his will and wish to be perfect prevented them from doing that.

In front of him, Ruka was scowling.

"Why're you so late?" she asked, eyes annoyed. Ops, he shouldn't have listened to Hanabusa when he told him to be late so she got anxious and be happier when she saw him.

"It's called fashionably late," he managed to stutter out, angry with himself, intent on giving his stupid cousin a piece of his mind later on.

Ruka 'tsk'-ed and then walked over to him. With a strange glint in her eyes, she extended her hands until they touched the first button of his shirt. They worked carefully, gently treading at the holes and the pins, for milliseconds touching his skin and leaving feather-soft feelings after.

In seconds she'd made his shirt the way it was usually and then ruffled his hair. Akatsuki almost heard himself sigh with contentment. But despite how good he felt, the question why she did that was swirling in his head.

"Why are you making such a face?" Ruka asked, puzzled, "You just looked too uncomfortable so I thought I should ruff you up a bit," her arms shot up to rest on a slender pelvis.

Akatsuki grinned with contentment as his neck's muscles eased a bit. He quickly mumbled a small 'thanks' to her.

Then he remembered that she was his partner and was probably waiting for an invitation for a dance.

With a small barely-visible smile and a gentleman smile, hand and invitation before that, Kain led her to the dance floor, away from Kaname-sama and that Yuki. Away from Hanabusa who was pleading a human girl for something. Specifically away from him.

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**Akatsuki, I hate you. I think up something nice and remotely funny, but you just have to ruin it with the fact that you're always angsty around Ruka. Well, almost always.**

**Ruka's really OOC, but whatever. **


End file.
